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Signs welcoming Jayme Closs back are displayed on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Signs welcoming Jayme Closs back are displayed on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Signs welcoming Jayme Closs back are displayed on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

News television trucks are parked outside the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A "prayers for Jayme" ribbon is displayed at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald listens to questions during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald speaks during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Microphones are setup for a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald speaks during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff's Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald holds up a photo of the suspect in custody for allegedly kidnapping Jayme Closs during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald gets emotional during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff's Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald smiles as Diane Tremblay, Superintendent of the Barron Area School District talks about Jayme Closs being found during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Microphone cables hang from the podium during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald speaks during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Community members listen as Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald speaks during a press conference at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Members of the media attend a press conference as Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald speaks regarding Jayme Closs at the Barron County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, January 11, 2019 in Barron, Wis. Douglas County officials found 13-year-old Jayme Closs on Thursday near the northern Wisconsin town of Gordon. Jayme had been missing since Oct. 15, the same day her parents, James, 56, and Denise, 46, were found shot to death in their home outside Barron. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A blockade set on the street of Eau Claire Acres Circle near the property where Jayme Closs was found Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, on Eau Claire Acres Circle in Gordon, Wis. T'xer Zhon Kha/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A "Tree of Hope" for teenager Jayme Closs is seen outside her school, Riverview Middle School in Barron, Wis, on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. Closs disappeared in October after her parents were killed inside their home. She was found Thursday, Jan. 10 in a town about an hour's drive away after approaching a woman walking her dog, saying she'd been held against her will. Jeff Baenen, AP

The home where teenager Jayme Closs lived with her parents is seen Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Closs, who went missing in October after her parents were found dead, was found alive Thursday afternoon, Jan. 10 in the small town of Gordon, Wis. Jeff Baenen, AP

A construction vehicle parks on County Road Y near near the scene where Jayme Closs was found Friday, Jan. 11, 2019, on Eau Claire Acres Circle in Gordon, Wis. T'xer Zhon Kha/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

BARRON - People in Barron County, across Wisconsin and throughout the country breathed a collective sigh of relief when 13-year-old Jayme Closs was found safe after she was missing for nearly three months.

Jake Thomas Patterson, of Gordon, was set to be sentenced Friday on two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. He pleaded guilty in March to gunning down James and Denise Closs and abducting Jayme in the early hours of Oct. 15.

Patterson was arrested on Jan. 10 after Jayme escaped from an isolated home outside the Town of Gordon and provided the Douglas County Sheriff's Department with a description of Patterson's vehicle.

Below is a timeline of the events:

Oct. 15

12:58 a.m.: Barron County Sheriff’s Department receives a 911 call from 1268 U.S. 8, a residence just outside Barron. According to Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, the dispatcher was not able to make contact with the caller on the line.

Deputies respond to the home and find two adults dead inside. A 13-year-old girl, Jayme Closs, is presumed missing.

Investigators from Barron County, the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children show up to help at the scene.

Fitzgerald announces that the Closs home was searched by drone and infrared camera with no signs of Jayme. Investigators also go to Jayme's school in Barron to interview teachers and classmates for potential information.

Descriptions and photos of Jayme are given around town to be sure no one has seen her.

3:30 p.m.: A nationwide Amber Alert is sent out for Jayme Closs. She is described as 5 feet tall, 100 pounds with blonde or strawberry blonde hair.

6 p.m.: An updated press release from the sheriff's department identifies the deceased parents as 56-year-old James Closs and 46-year-old Denise Closs. They're identified as husband and wife.

Oct. 16

11 a.m.: Fitzgerald holds another press conference with FBI agents and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation to update media on the investigation.

Fitzgerald says tips have continued to come in and investigators have continued to investigate; however, there are currently no suspects.

Residents of Barron and neighboring communities are asked to be on the lookout and think about if anyone they know has been acting differently, missing work or school, missing appointments, changing behaviors or wanting to skip town. If so, they're asked to notify the sheriff's office.

The sheriff explains the 911 call Monday morning, saying it was made from a cellphone. He said dispatchers weren't able to make contact with anyone on the line, but it was apparent a disturbance was going on.

The FBI continues to monitor Jayme's social media accounts for any leads.

Investigators have returned to the home to take a second look at the crime scene to make sure nothing was missed.

4 p.m.: Sheriff Fitzgerald hosts the second and final press conference of the day and reiterates that the only credible information will be coming from their department at the podium or on their Facebook page.

Fitzgerald says there is no information yet that can clearly show this as an abduction. However, he continued to reiterate that Jayme is missing and in danger.

He also says that there is no clear cut information that proves the case has to do with sex trafficking.

By 3 p.m., Fitzgerald says the department had already received over 200 tips that are actively being investigated.

The autopsy of the Closs parents (which was supposed to happen Tuesday) will take place on Wednesday as new information pushed it back.

Fitzgerald says that more than 100 law enforcement officials are currently assigned to the case.

The community is not needed yet to help with voluntary searches, Fitzgerald says. However, he continued to encourage people to use the tip line.

CLOSE

Teenager was located in Douglas County on Jan. 10.
Appleton Post-Crescent

Oct. 17

3 p.m.: Sheriff Fitzgerald announces that he, along with Victim Assistance representatives will hold a 7 p.m. town hall meeting at Wisconsin Indian Head Technical College in Rice Lake. Access will be allowed only to Barron County residents.

4 p.m.: Fitzgerald holds another press conference.

Fitzgerald says autopsies conducted on James and Denise Closs' bodies determined that they died from gunshot wounds. Their deaths have been ruled as homicides.

Officials believe Jayme was still home at the time of the homicides, Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald says they haven't received any tips of a credible sighting of Jayme.

Oct. 18

12:45 p.m.: The sheriff's department says on Facebook that it will begin a search party at 2 p.m. in Barron.

Fitzgerald says they are looking for people to conduct a routine search for "articles of evidentiary value that may be related to the incident."

One hundred volunteers are needed for the search that will kick-off at 2 p.m. Volunteers will need to provide a photo ID and have proper shoes and clothing.

10 p.m.: Jayme Closs is added to the FBI's top missing persons list.

Oct. 22

10:45 a.m.: The Sheriff's Department posts on Facebook to announce it will be holding another search party for evidence in the case.

Fitzgerald again states that the group will be searching for "articles of evidentiary value that may be related to the incident."

Fitzgerald shows three images of two vehicles of interest that were in the area of the Closs home at the time of the incident.

One of the vehicles was reported as either a 2004-2010 Black Acura MDX or a 2006-2010 Black Ford Edge.

The other vehicle was reported as a 2008-2014 red or orange Dodge Challenger.

Fitzgerald asks that if anyone has seen any of these vehicles to report them to the tip line.

Oct. 23

4 p.m.: A search party is held in Barron County to search for articles of evidentiary value that may be related to the disappearance of Jayme Closs.

The full 2,000 volunteers show up and search the area from 9 a.m. until about 5 p.m.

Fitzgerald says that none of the items collected during the search appeared to be connected to the crime.

According to the sheriff's department, more than 1,400 tips have been received about the case.

Oct. 26

10 a.m.: Officials increase the reward for information on Jayme Closs to $50,000 after an extra $25,000 donation from Jennie-O Turkey Store.

The original reward posted by the sheriff's office was $25,000.

Oct. 29

3 p.m.: The sheriff's office releases information about a burglary that took place in the Closs home on Oct. 27.

Kyle Jaenke-Annis of Cameron reportedly broke into the home around 2:30 a.m.

Jaenke-Annis was caught in the act on motion activated cameras set up around the house.

Officials detained Jaenke-Annis when he exited the home, and he admitted to entering without permission and stealing items. Police found two girl's tank tops, underwear and a dress in his coat pocket.

Jaenke-Annis works at the Jennie-O Turkey Store plant, which is where James and Denise Closs worked, but told police he didn't know the family.

When asked why he took the clothes, Jaenke-Annis said people wouldn't miss those items, and he was curious what size Jayme wears.

Jaenke-Annis is not involved in 13-year-old Jayme's disappearance.

Nov. 1

10 a.m.: Investigators are shifting their strategy in the search to find Jayme Closs as the number of tips coming in decreases.

The sheriff's department announces that it's transitioning its Emergency Operations Center "from a 24/7 reactive operation to a more deliberate and methodical effort."

Officials says tips have begun to slow down now as they have received over 2,100.

Fitzgerald emphasizes that the change in operations doesn't mean tips should stop. There is still a team on-call to handle tips as they come in, he says.

Nov. 15

9:30 a.m.: Sheriff Fitzgerald posts on the department Facebook page reminding the community that the Closs case remains a No. 1 priority across the state and the country and for hunters to stay vigilant during hunting season.

Fitzgerald tells hunters to make sure to report anything suspicious they may see in the woods such as clothing or weapons.

The department continues to follow up on tips that continue to come in and video evidence continues to be analyzed in partnership with the FBI and DCI.

Dec. 12

5 p.m.: Riverview Middle School in Barron holds a tree-lighting ceremony in honor of Jayme Closs. The ceremony was put on by the school, Jennie-O Turkey Store and Hormel foods, where the Closs parents worked.

Dedicated to Jayme and her parents, the tree stood outside the school adorned in blue, green and white lights. Students decorated it with handmade ornaments.

Community members sang and prayed together as they heard from Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald, James and Denise’s employer, and the Closs family. Students and relatives released lanterns into the sky symbolizing James, Denise and Jayme.

Fitzgerald continues to stress that he believes Jayme is still alive and says investigators are continuing to expand the search.

A message of "Hope" seen on an ornament hangs on the Tree of Hope for Jayme Closs Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, outside of Riverview Middle School in Barron, Wisc. T'xer Zhon Kha/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Jan. 10

4 p.m.: A rumor spreads on Facebook that a heavy police presence near Walworth County is due to a rescue of Jayme Closs. Fitzgerald takes to Facebook to discredit the tip.

Fitzgerald reinforces that the police presence has nothing to do with the Closs case.

Police in the area found the remains of two bodies unrelated to the Closs case.

7:55 p.m.: Sheriff Fitzgerald posts on Facebook that Jayme Closs has been found safe in Douglas County.

Douglas County shares in a news release that Closs was located at 4:43 p.m. in the town of Gordon. A suspect was taken into custody at 4:54 p.m.

According to Douglas County's release, a citizen phoned in that they had located Jayme.

Closs was reunited with family and taken to a local hospital where she spent the night for precautionary reasons.

KARE-TV in Minneapolis reported that Jayme was found at Eau Claire Acres, a small development about six miles east of Gordon on County Y, according to the town of Gordon board chairman.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that a source said Jayme escaped from a home in Gordon and approached a neighbor, identifying herself and saying she’d been kidnapped.

Fitzgerald says on Facebook that they do not have any other details at this time as it remains a very fluid and active investigation. A Barron County Sheriff's Department press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.

Fitzgerald thanks Douglas County and law enforcement across the state for their efforts in helping bring Jayme home.

Jan. 11

10 a.m.: Fitzgerald speaks to the media at a press conference announcing the suspect is 21-year-old Jake T. Patterson of Gordon.

Fitzgerald says Patterson had no prior criminal history in the state of Wisconsin, but did have ties to the Barron community. No additional suspects are being sought in the case.

The sheriff confirms that Jayme escaped the home she was being kept in and was able to find a woman walking a dog in the area. She was then kept safe in a neighboring home until police arrived.

Jayme, Fitzgerald believes, was the main target in the case.

Jayme is undergoing a reunification process with her family and talking with detectives and mental health professionals before she is brought back to Barron County Friday afternoon, Fitzgerald says.

Patterson is being held in Barron County Jail on two first-degree intentional homicide charges and a kidnapping charge.

4 p.m.: Sheriff Fitzgerald speaks to the media at another press conference.

Fitzgerald says Jayme was released from the hospital Friday afternoon and reunited with an aunt, with whom she'll stay for at least the short term.

The sheriff says a shotgun was recovered from the home in Gordon that is consistent with the type of gun used at the Closs home. The state crime lab is examining the gun.

Fitzgerald says that, while Jayme was targeted for kidnapping, Patterson didn't know anyone at the Closs home and had no prior contact with them. He adds that there was no social media connection between Patterson and Jayme.

He says Patterson wasn't at the Gordon home when Jayme escaped.

Investigators have a search warrant for the home.

Fitzgerald says Patterson will make an initial appearance in court at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 14 on two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping.

Jan. 14

12:30 p.m.: The criminal complaint is made available at the Barron County Circuit Court, laying out the details of Patterson's crimes. According to the complaint:

Patterson faces two counts of first-degree intentional homicide for the deaths of James and Denise Closs. He is also charged with kidnapping and armed burglary.

The Oct. 15 call to 911 was made by Denise Closs inside the home.

James Closs was shot and killed near the front door of the home. His wife, Denise, was shot and killed in a bathtub where she had barricaded herself with Jayme.

Patterson bound Jayme in black tape, put her in the trunk of his car and drove her 75 miles to his Gordon home. They passed police responding to the 911 call at the Closs home.

Patterson forced Jayme to hide under a twin bed when he left the home or had company. He barricaded the bed with weighted bins. At times, she was kept there with no food, water or bathroom breaks for up to 12 hours.

On the day of her escape, Patterson told Jayme he was going to be gone for five or six hours. Jayme pushed away the bins, crawled out and put on a pair of Patterson's tennis shoes. She then left the house and stumbled upon a neighbor and social worker named Jeanne Nutter, who was out walking her dog.

Nutter took Jayme to another neighbor's house, where they called 911.

Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Department spotted a red Ford vehicle similar to one seen after Jayme was kidnapped. It was also consistent with Jayme's description of Patterson's car. The plates were registered to Katie Patterson, the suspect's sister.

Police stopped the vehicle and told the driver to put his hands up. Jake Patterson exited the car and said, "I know what this is about. I did it."

Patterson confessed to the murders and the kidnapping while in an interview with detectives.

Patterson decided to kidnap Jayme after watching her board a school bus while on his way to work at the Saputo Cheese Factory near Almena.

Patterson told detectives he had driven to the home twice with the intent to kidnap Closs prior to Oct. 15, but was scared off by the number of cars in the area.

Patterson shaved his face and head before the kidnapping so he wouldn't leave DNA in the home.

Patterson told detectives he was determined to take Closs that night and that he was going to kill anyone in the house as to not leave any witnesses behind.

Jan. 25

Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf announces that additional charges will not be filed against Jake Patterson for any crimes related to Jayme's captivity in Gordon. Fruehauf cites "the existence of other charges and victim-related concerns" as the justification for his decision.

Feb. 6

Feb. 18

The internet tabloid Radar Online claims on to have obtained a copy of a letter from Jake Patterson appearing to reply to someone who had written him. In the purported letter, he says he went from never committing a crime to "doing the worst thing a human can do."

"Just one big f*** up haha," he wrote.

March 7

Patterson writes in a letter to a Minneapolis television reporter that he took Jayme on impulse and plans to plead guilty. He also accuses police of twisting his words to cover up their mistakes.

"No one will believe or can even imagine how sorry I am for hurting Jayme this much," he wrote. "Can't express it."